Trapped in Paradise
by sparkly red ribbon
Summary: Sequel to Stranded in Ba Sueng. When Sokka attempts to break their long line of affairs, Azula has a rather...unusual way of refusing. And this time, everybody gets involved...poor Zuko. set book 3 before DOTBS. Sequel is up!


AN: Hello! For those who've read Stranded you may have noticed the name change-I used to be ladyguadalupe. I didn't plan to do a sequel, but I decided I wanted to write more Sokkla and everything just came to me. Reading Stranded is not needed this story stands perfectly on its own and has very few references to it that aren't explained, but its a good story anyway and worth the read to anybody that likes Sokkla. XD

Compared to Stranded, this chapter is a lot different. The action a lot crazier, and this time practically the whole cast gets involved-maybe even Iroh, and maybe even Fire Lord Ozai!- but between Sokka and Azula their feelings for each other goes a lot deeper.

Anyway Hope you all enjoy it =D

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

**Trapped in Paradise**

From an alleyway down he heard the noise of an excited crowd. When he looked, he saw people crowded tightly. He heard music; trumpets, flutes, and drums playing at an upbeat tempo. It was a festive atmosphere. Entranced by the noise, his feet guided him toward the open street. Dressed in his appropriate fire nation clothing for blending in, he freely pushed and shoved his way to the front of the crowd, eager to see the attraction.

Soldiers marched in front of and behind a palanquin, with a few soldiers dedicated to carrying it. He squinted his eyes, wanting to see who was inside it. The curtains were pulled and tied back, revealing a woman dressed in armor, with a familiar hairpin. Oh no- Sokka thought. It was Azula. He stood paralyzed. She looked calm and content, not moving as she kept her head forward, occasionally glancing at the crowd, with an expression mixed with fondness and arrogance. The fondness was probably the fondness of her position above them, and not the people themselves, which induced the arrogance in her curled lip, often mistaken for a smile. Her hold eyes fell on him, and he became nervous, his feet frozen to the ground. She looked past him, but paused. Then she abruptly brought her gaze back to him, looking directly into his eyes. Sokka tried to look plain and boring, and even took to whistling as if she might second guess his identity, but her eyes widened incredulously, and she furrowed her eyebrows. She undoubtedly recognized him.

They stared at each other. Sokka breathed nervously, beginning to sweat.

'What could she do?...What could she possibly do in the crowd, with everybody watching…? She couldn't…she wouldn't…" he mumbled to himself, relieving himself of the potential threat. Her face changed back to its usual collected expression. Sokka breathed a sigh of relief.

"Guards!" they immediately halted, disrupting the procession.

"What is it, princess?"

"I have something important to attend to. Please excuse me for a moment." She jumped onto the ground. As Sokka started to run- "See that man there?" She pointed to him. "He's a friend of the avatar, don't let him escape!" but before the crowd could react, Sokka was already past them and running without inhibition down the alleyway, turning quick to potentially throw of his pursuers.

He was disheartened. He looked back to see her closing in fast, he blue flames giving her an unfair advantage as they propelled her. Luckily, he was familiar with these streets. He turned and turned, and with improved strength, he took obstacles that littered the streets and threw them at her, hoping to slow her down. He was in vein as he heard them being blown into pieces.

All of a sudden, civilians mixed with a few soldiers appeared in front of him, attempting to blockade him. Instead he increased his speed to gain the momentum he needed. He leaped onto boxes and dumpsters along the road to leap over them and onto the roof. Azula blasted his mount into pieces, but he leaped just a moment before it disintegrated. Azula side kicked both walls to ascend up to the rooftop after him. He heard a faint roar of applause from the crowd below. There was nothing to slow her down now, so Sokka ran past fatigue rooftop to rooftop, hoping to outrun her. Minutes later he dared to look back, and just as he expected, she was a distance behind him. He began to reach the outskirts of town, and his body was begging to give out.

Finally, he could not run anymore. He jumped down from the rooftop to a narrow alleyway, preparing to try and fight her in a closed space, where her fire bending might prove more dangerous than helpful. He landed on his feet and immediately leaned on the wall for support. Seconds later, she jumped down near him. He cursed, for she did not look tired. He did not have his sword, but he took a fighting stance. She, in response, feigned a hurt expression.

"Are you so eager to fight me? I was hoping to have a little chat."

"There's nothing to talk about!" That was a lie. She sighed, smirking.

"Have it your way" and she charged at him. Before he could throw an arm at her, his fatigue tiring him greatly, she grabbed his arm and twisted it cleverly, forcing him to bend forward. His brain was confused by exhaustion. "Well that was easy. You're weaker than I thought." She taunted smugly. With one last gust of energy, he broke free of her grip and poised to strike her low in the stomach. She sidestepped, and he only brushed her side. He kicked under her feet, throwing her off balance. Taking advantage, he punched towards her chest. Seeing it coming, she back flipped and landed a distance away. He charged at her, but she had the ultimate advantage. She shot a thin blue flame at him, lashing him like a whip on his shoulder. Then came a large ball that knocked him off his feet and onto his back.

The blurry sky came back into view as he wearily opened his eyes. From his vision appeared Azula, looking down on him completely satisfied with herself. Too weak to move from the collision, she reached down and grabbed his shirt and pulled him up. He hung from her grip like a wash cloth, glaring at her with as much hatred as he could muster, but his anger only excited her. She looked like Christmas had come early that year.

"Azula…" he hissed, if only he could somehow express the anger he was feeling.

"Sokka," she purred, shoving him against a wall. He raised his arms attempting to force her back, but she pinned him, crushing him with her hard armor as she smashed her mouth into his, kissing him eagerly. The familiar sensation of her body, her lips against his, the smell of her skin, the feel of her strong, unfeminine strong hands holding him down. He easily succumbed to the pleasure, kissing her back weakly. When she released, he felt her breath panting on his face, her lips curled into a devious smile. "You're mine."

He remembered how much he hated this woman- "You BITCH! Get off of me!" he yelled, but to no avail. She only laughed, pressing herself back into him. He growled…

"Don't be so angry at me," she teased releasing him and looking away, casually scanning her nails. "I'm the fire princess. Being your enemy is in the job description."

"You've gone too far for me to accept you any longer. You almost killed the avatar and you destroyed the whole earth kingdom." Azula's looked startled.

"Almost?"

"Almost killed…" Oh shit Sokka thought. What had he done? Like always, she knew what he was thinking.

"That's alright, I had a hunch he was still alive anyways," she sighed, that hardly made Sokka feel any better. This was horrible. How many other people knew? Who had she told?

"I haven't told anybody." She read his mind again.

"What?..." Sokka blinked.

"I have my reasons…but now," she closed in on him, and Sokka wondered what her intentions could possibly be for keeping the secret.

"No!" he tried to push her away. "I don't want you near me!! GO AWAY!!!" he flailed his arms around trying to push her away, but she only became snarled excitedly and pinned him against the wall, dangerously close.

"No? But you wanted me so badly last time, and the time before, and the time before that…" it was true. Every time they had been near each other since their first affair in the earth kingdom they had always snuck off together, desperate for the other's touch.

He let her kiss him.

If he had only known how much he would miss her the first time they departed. Without her, the world just seemed drastically incomplete. He could not comprehend why on earth he would need, long for, _crave_ for a monster such as her, but every day and every night he waited impatiently for their next rendezvous, and the more he thought about it the more he wanted.

"Stop! We can't do this. I can't do this. I'm betraying my friends, and you're betraying your nation." Sokka knew this to be a problem. He knew Azula was in Ba Sing Se before she disguised herself as a Kyoshi warrior. If he hadn't been so selfish, he would've warned the gang that they were in the vicinity. But he didn't.

Every time she met with the water tribe boy she had an opportunity to strike at the avatar, but she didn't. From his position, she knew where they were camped, where they slept. She could have even held Sokka as a hostage. Every time she let him go.

It was a small sacrifice to make for her. She knew which side would win the war. A few missed opportunities would do no harm, and she knew avatar would come walking to their door before the comet. He would inevitably be defeated. Plus, it was Zuko's job to defeat him anyway. Him being alive was now a blessing, for when he reappeared, Zuko would be the one to take the fall. Her lips curled, but then faltered.

In any case- Why should she care about anybody else? Who had ever cared for her? Who'd ever been sensitive to her needs, what she wanted? Nobody. Was it so wrong for her to indulge herself in this one pleasure?

"So, is that how it is?"

"It is!" he said firmly. Azula's lips curled into her most devious smile yet. She loved the challenge; it made it only sweeter when she finally had what she desired. Sokka, seeing the look on her face, became uneasy. "A…zula…?" she took a step back, raising her hand "Azula? What are you-" a blue flame appeared in her hand. "Azula!!"

Everything went black.

He opened his eyes to see a red ceiling high above him. He was comfy, the ground soft below him…except, he felt the ground with his hands. It wasn't ground. It was…a bedspread. He bolted up, and heard a shrill laughter from across the room.

"What's going on?" But he could see clearly, though he did not understand how or why. He was on a bed, staring at her in what looked like casual fire nation garments. Was he…?

"Is this your BEDROOM?!" more laughter from Azula. "ARE YOU INSANE?!" he yelled. She darted towards him and pushed him onto his back against the bed.

"It is. Just try and escape now. See if you can get past me, the guards, and the rest of the city."

"Why didn't you just put me in a dungeon?"

"Because it's more amusing this way. Don't worry, you'll being lying in there soon enough...you don't think I intend to let you escape?" It was not a question. It was a challenge, one that Sokka would accept.

"You're on!" he exclaimed, but his concentration was being drained by the feel of her body next to his...she moved closer he could feel her breath on his ear…why was he trying to leave again?

She abruptly climbed off of him, smoothing out her clothes. She looked normal again, cool and collected, as if the world were simply under her fingers.

"I have to go…I need to go explain to everybody what just happened, and what became of our newest member on the WANTED list," she started to turn.

"And what did happen to him?"

"I don't know, you'll just have to ask around and find-"

_Knock knock._

Azula paid no heed to Sokka's position on her bed as she strode towards the door. Sokka wondered if he dared to stay laying on her bed. The scandal it would cause…the fear of imprisonment stopped him. He couldn't put immature desires for revenge over his safety and ability to return to Aang and help him defeat the fire nation…and the woman standing before him. He quickly ran behind a curtain and hid. He didn't have the time to think of a better place.

She opened the door.

"Zuzu, what brings you here?"

"Who's in there? I heard a voice, and it was male." Sokka gulped. He was in for it now, and he didn't even get a chance to try and escape.

"Eavesdropping? That's not polite." She leaned on the door frame, looking calm.

"So there is someone in there."

"I didn't say that…Zuko what are you doing? Get out of here!" he heard footsteps. Zuko walked into the room, easily spotting Sokka's footsteps underneath the curtain. Sokka was sweating, but luckily he was the brains of the group. He yanked the curtain and threw it at Zuko, and while it covered his face he sprinted out of the room before he could get it off. He could see Azula's amused expression before he swept past her and took an abrupt left into the hallway.

"Which way did he go?" he demanded.

"Left."

"I don't believe you!" So Zuko ran off to the right. She smiled. She could always fool her brother.

"This might be more amusing than I thought." She mumbled to herself, smiling.

Sokka meanwhile looked back to see Zuko was not following him he did not understand why but he was not complaining. He had turned and gone through several corridors, and now he wasn't sure where he was. He didn't know if he should try and find Azula's room again just yet…or the exit-yes-the exit much better plan. But where on earth was that?

Cautiously he walked, continuously scanning left, right, and ahead going through hallway, rooms, and mysterious rooms looking for an exit, whenever he saw somebody, due to his swiftness he would quickly hide out of sight, maneuvering through and around people and furniture as needed.

He was awed by the huge ruby red palace, each ceiling towering over him, designed in such detail he could greatly appreciate its beauty, even though he wished deep in his heart to blast apart every room to pieces, destroying its power it held over their world.

At last he found it- the exit! The large ruby doors were open, but crowded with soldier guarding from intruders. How could he get past them?

He had a plan.

He took one of his outer garment off and wrapped it around his head like a bandana. That should be a sufficient disguise. He walked up to the guards, attempting to pass them, but they did not budge.

"Halt, stranger. Only royal guests can enter and exit the palace freely without prior notice. Name yourself and your purpose here."

"I…am…Lee, I am Lee from the…bakery…down the…street?" he smiled shifting back and forth, and there was an awkward silence where Sokka eagerly awaited a response.

"I love that bakery!" another guard exclaimed.

"They have the best muffins." Another one offered, and they all started chatting happily, but the main guard was not ready to let him pass.

"And what business have you in the palace? And why don't I remember you coming in?"

"Because…I came in very early this morning, you know, only the freshest for the royal family!"

"Come to think of it, why do you guys open so late? Who eats pastries at 11:00?!" a guard shouted, and another wave or murmuring rose and fell.

"And why are you guys closed on Saturday?!"

"SILENCE! By whose permission did you enter?" his tone was darker with each question.

"…Azula?" he smiled again.

"But Azula hate sweet foods." A guard said. '_How the hell do these people know something like that?' _

"…Wh-which is exactly why I…came?"

"Oh I see! She called you in because she finally realized the horror of living a life without the pleasure of pastries!" another guard pitched in.

"…Yes! Yooouuuuu got it!" he laughed humorlessly. "You know, I really need to get back to work now. I'll be going." The main guard hesitated, but then moved to let him pass.

"I've got my eye on you." He squinted, pointing between his eyes and Sokka. Sokka gulped eager to leave.

PHEW! He was glad to leave. He laughed to himself. Azula thought he was so stupid he couldn't escape? She'd underestimated him, and now she-

There were Mai and Ty Lee walking up the stairs toward him.

"So what do you want to do? Azula said she wouldn't be back for a few hours and…" Sokka caught her eye. "Hey…is that…it's that water tribe boy!"

He tried to run past them, but it was two on one so they blockaded him. 'Crap' he busied himself fighting them off while he tried to think of a plan.

"Sokka, what are you doing here?" she gasped and smiled "Are you here to see Azula?" she smiled excitedly while fighting him at the same time.

"WHAT? NO why would I be here to see HER?! She's a CRAZY!" he blushed, even though he was telling the truth. How much did they know? Ty Lee just smiled again, as if she didn't believe him.

He did not want to be caught by these two. The only way away from them was back into the palace, so there he ran, but the guards were not prepared to let him in after all that commotion.

"Who are you really? And why are you an enemy of the princess's guards?"

"I…uh…We're not enemies…we're friends, you see, it's just that they realllly love pastries, and sometimes they can get a little crazy-" Ty Lee pounced on him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"We are friends!"

"We are?"

"Yes! And we're going to have sooo much fun together! Guards, let us pass!" The guards looked sort of suspicious but they did not question them. They parted and Ty Lee let them back into the palace. Sokka groaned. And he thought being alone with Azula was a bad idea…

"So, you're here to see Azula aren't you? Oh, how romantic!" she said once inside the palace.

"I'm NOT here to see Azula, and we're NOT TOGETHER!!"

"Just give it up," Mai appeared. "It's obvious there's something going on between you two."

"NO-THERE-IS-NOT!!" He yelled. He'd rather be decapitated then admit it to these two.

"So what are we going to do with him? Azula won't be back for at least an hour or two."

"Leave it to me!" Sokka groaned as he was led down a ways and into a pink room. Was this…

"Ewwwww pink!" It was Ty Lee's room.

"So tell us all about it!" they sat on her bed, Mai sitting on a chair looking bored.

"About what?"

"About you and Azula, duh!!"

"How many time do I have to tell you? We're not TOGETHER!"

"Just give it up, Ty Lee, he's not going to talk." Mai leaned back in here chair. "Uh, this is boring. Can't we just throw him in the dungeon?"

"No! Don't you see? No way Sokka would just walk into the palace unless Azula knew he was coming, but then she got distracted..." she gasped. "It was a secret rendezvous!"

"What, no that's really not it!" but she looked beside herself with excitement. Mai did not, but she did look intrigued.

"You have a point. I mean, she'd always suddenly disappear whenever the avatar was nearby…I think you're right Ty Lee." Sokka sweated. Wrong they were, but so extremely close at the same time.

"Do you think we should bring him to Azula?"

"Ty Lee," she started. "Yes?" she replied. "Do you remember the amount of times Azula played tricks on us, constantly bullying us in our childhood, and even today?" Ty Lee cocked her head.

"Yes.." she said innocently.

"Don't you think…it's time for a little payback?" she smiled in a mysterious way that was not like her. Ty Lee smiled in the same way. Sokka shifted nervously, preparing for the worst.

***

When the sun was a little lower in the sky, Azula entered the palace, eagerly awaiting finding the water peasant somewhere inside. She loved the challenge and the chase. She was sure that he would not be able to leave the palace. The guards were very familiar with the faces avatar and all of his companions, and he had no weapons to overpower them. She did not believe he could learn enough about the palace in one afternoon to find secret exits, and with miscellaneous people always walking through the corridors, she did not believe he'd get far. However, she had faith in his intelligence that he would not be caught. First she walked towards her room to check that he had not returned for any reason. He had not, as was expected.

She strolled around the palace, trying to place herself in Sokka's feet. 'If I were a water tribe boy trying to escape, where would I be?' she thought.

Her feet brought her to the various exits. She could not find him anywhere, even after searching for what felt like hours. Could he have really escaped?

She found Ty Lee and Mai walking a little too innocently towards her.

"Looking for something?" Mai asked.

"No…just passing the time."

"You look upset," Ty Lee tilted her head in, Azula didn't realize yet, fake curiosity.

"No, I'm fine…what are you two doing here?"

"Looking for you, actually."

***

Sokka wrestled with the ropes tied around him. How dare those _wretches_ tie him, and in Azula's closet of all places! It was degrading and humiliating. Without a weapon, he was no match for Ty Lee's body numbing fighting technique and Mai's help to give her another advantage. Though he fought long and hard, he ultimately fell. He smiled though, because he practically destroyed Ty Lee's room in the process.

He resigned himself to laying there as they had tied him so tightly, he could think of no way to escape. Azula would eventually find him in her closet, and what that would accomplish was only apparent to Ty Lee and Mai. They made him appreciate the relative sanity of Azula. He vaguely wondered when she would be returning. He heard a door open and shut, but he dare not call out before knowing for sure who it was. He remembered her telling him once that Zuko loved to go inside her room for some unexplored reason.

He looked around her closet. It was almost bigger than his entire living quarters back in his home in the southern water tribes. He could not see much because of the relative darkness, but he could make out lots of clothes, most of which ruby red or black. Across the room, he saw something gleaming, reflecting the small amount of light that came in through the cracks. It was a pocket knife! Sokka smiled.

***

"We've come to report that on our way to the palace, we saw the water tribe boy that travels with the avatar pass us by. We tried to capture him, but he disappeared into the city."

"WHAT? He got away?" It was impossible. Azula should have been more prepared for that outcome, but somewhere she had refused to picture it in her mind.

"That must mean that the avatar and the rest of the group are in or near the city too, don't you think?" Azula had already inferred that, but she did not really care about the avatar at that point.

"Yes, I agree. The avatar is, or more likely was, nearby."

"What do you mean?"

"If Sokka and you two have seen each other, that means when Sokka returns to the avatar, they will know that we know they're in the area. Their smartest move would be to leave immediately before a search party such as us comes after them."

"Oh," they looked disappointed.

"Don't worry. Whatever they came here for, they'll surely be back." She turned and walked off, fuming. She knew how to appear calm, but she was anything but. She was not sure what she was feeling, other than unfathomable anger. Sokka was gone, and he would not be back. At least not alone.

He had really meant what he said. He did not want her.

She marched outside of the palace with questioning looks from the guards, but they dare not confront her. She desperately needed the outside air, and to let off her emotions, something she never got to do.

She walked freely onto the streets, forgetting that she was more than a little famous. She let down her hair and quickly ordered a booth to give her a cloak-being the princess had obvious advantages- to change her appearance.

On a particularly deserted cross-street, she let out her fury in the form of fire. After a flurry of light and heat, the entire street was charred, everything destroyed.

She started to realize that somewhere in her mind, she thought that even if given the choice, Sokka would not leave. A master of deceit and manipulation, she had deceived herself.

"I saw the fire! Is you alright? Is anyone hurt?" she heard a female voice behind her. She turned-BINGO. She easily recognized the water bender even in her fire nation attire. Behind her was a boy she did not quite recognize with hair, but assumed to be the avatar. Where was Sokka?

They did not appear to recognize her.

"Are you alright?" the avatar called in response to her silence. She was not sure what she should do. She did not believe by herself she could defeat the avatar with his two companions by his side. If only Mai and Ty Lee were with her…but for that matter, why were the avatar and his friends still here? Was Sokka not with them?

Behind them came a little girl, whom she recognized to be the earth bender that traveled with them.

"What happened over here, the ground feels so weird…" she quickly turned her head towards her, but paused.

"Why are you guys just standing there, don't you realize who that is?" she asked incredulously. Azula had forgotten that she had such uncanny powers.

"Azula?!" Katara appeared more surprised than angry. She was thrown off by Azula's strange, unintimidating appearance. Aang looked frightened. He was not ready to be discovered.

Azula would have fled, but she was curious to whether Sokka was with them or not.

"Where's the other water bender?" she tried to ask coolly, without a trace of her real intent. But they misinterpreted her.

"You have him don't you!" Katara shouted, believing that she was taunting them. _I wish…_ she thought bitterly.

"No, I'm afraid I don't, but if you want you can follow me to the palace to take a look," she wished to look for Sokka, but she did not forget her duty to her nation. If she could lure the avatar into the palace he was bound to be captured. Zuko would be ruined and she would be hailed as a hero. They took fighting stances.

"Tell us where he is!" Toph yelled, moving her feet preparing to try and immobilize her. She felt the earth around her feet stiffen, but she moved just in time.

She sweated as she dodged flying pieces of earth, water whips, air gusts, and the ground trying to move out from under her at the same time. She needed to flee, but they were beginning to overtake her.

She swirled a large gust of fire around her to fend them off for a moment, and that was all she needed. With the extra moment she had, she conjured up a lightning bolt. She aimed it at the building above their heads, and as the wall started to crumble on them, she used her fire to propel her feet as she skated out of there as quickly as she could.

She ran towards the palace, but where was Sokka? Maybe he was captured. She had to check.

So instead of heading towards the palace, she detoured towards the dungeons. As she walked in, she saw a cloaked man figure walking out. As this mystery man came closer, Azula groaned. Could her day get any worse?

"Azula?"

"Zuko?"

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I was visiting Uncle. You?" She frowned. She couldn't tell him the real reason.

"Uh…Same." Zuko looked more dumbfounded then she had ever seen him.

"Really? Here, I'll show you to his cell." She took her arm.

"NO! No…" she fake smiled, "That's alright, I don't need you-"

"Consider it my pleasure," before she could say anything he turned back into the dungeons and walked into the darkness. She had no choice but to follow. She needed to think of something to get him out of there.

Iroh looked like a mess. His eyes bulged at the sight of her. She returned a likewise expression, along with one of utmost annoyance.

"Why, you look quite like your mother with your hair like that." Azula snarled and hastened to pin up her hair. He could sense her distaste for him. She had never liked him.

There was a deafening silence.

"So why did you come here niece?" she asked, genuinely intrigued.

"…" Azula had never been so unsure of what to say in her entire life. "I…well, I…was just…curious to see how my uncle is faring in prison and I must say, you look quite well! Well that said I think I'll be going now." She glared at Zuko and stormed towards the exit. Plan failed.

"Wait!" he ran towards her. "I understand…you need to be alone with him, don't you?" His sympathy was cute, and she intended to take full advantage of it.

"Yes," she feigned emotion.

"I'll wait outside." She smiled and waited until he had left to resume her search for Sokka. Her uncle looked at her patiently. Her eyebrows furrowed in irritation.

"So what is troubling you, ni-"

"Save it, old man. I didn't come here to see you!" she walked off. He slumped, Azula tempted to look back at him apologetically, but she couldn't.

Sokka did not appear to be anywhere in there, and she was frustrated. As she walked back, she passed by her uncle one more time. She stopped to look at him. She did not know what came over her, whether it was her misery over not finding Sokka or the small compliment he'd paid her, but she took off her cloak and tossed it to him. She found the evening rather cold. Maybe if she did something good karma would reward her with finding Sokka. She walked out dignified, Iroh gazing after her imploringly.

She and Zuko walked back to the palace without a word. They were both guilty.

She walked though the palace with her head held high, but she felt defeated. Where was Sokka?

***

Sokka finally was free! He cut through the numerous ropes with the knife he found. He busted the closet doors open, breathing his first beautiful not-closet-air breath. He automatically made to leave, but something stopped him. He was in her room, and she wasn't. His eyes traveled toward her bed, her night stand, her dresser…all of her possessions were in here, her child hood, her secrets were in here… and nobody was watching him. He hated to stay, but his curiosity about the princess pleaded him to.

He paused, and then curiously opened one of her drawers. He blushed profusely. It was her…underwear drawer. He hand reflexed and moved to shut it, but it never reached the front of the drawer. His eyes travelled around the contents inside. He shamelessly rummaged through its contents, beside himself with curiosity. He justified himself by her evil deeds, but soon his guilt overtook him. There are just some things you don't do.

Underneath that drawer were more clothes. He blushed again. He found a two piece swim suit. He pulled out, and imagined her in it. If only…

Underneath that drawer was not clothes, and it aroused the most curiosity out of Sokka yet. It was a collection of books and papers. He pulled each out one by one, and he realized they were childhood keepsakes. Badly drawn pictures of the palace and the family and other random things that meant nothing to an outsider lay in there. Papers with more adolescent writings and notes from a younger Ty Lee and Mai lay in there. They must have been friends for a very long time…

This aroused more intimate feelings than did any other possession in her room. He was seeing things that meant a lot to her, things that she made an effort to keep, even though they were useless to her now. Through an ever changing world, these were things she held on to…

He noticed something to the side, something so familiar to him he could hardly believe it. It was a drawing of his. As a joke, one time he'd drawn her a picture of them together, expecting her to throw it away the moment she left his sight. Yet there it was, in perfect shape save a few lines where it had been folded. The gesture made him blush.

He stared at the drawer, his brain processing what he had just found. She really did care..._She really did care._ Breathing heavily in anxiety he stared around the room. He should be leaving, but how could he? How could he not?

***

Azula opened the door to her room.

"Sokka!" she slammed the door shut, looking gleeful. "I mean…Sokka," she tried to resume her calm arrogance, but she had betrayed herself. Her eyes looked wild and her breathing was fast.

"Azula…?" Sokka was unsure of how she'd react, but he was surprised by her immense happiness. From his seat on her bed, he stood up to meet her. She hesitated, but her feet rushed towards him. She could not control herself she hugged him tight, pressing herself against him as hard as she could, she kissed the side of his head, her heart pounding. She cursed herself for his open display of affection.

Sokka was utterly bewildered. He had expected her to come in and laugh at him, taunt him, but not rush to greet him as if they were long lost lovers, but they way she held onto him and had smiled at him upon seeing him ignited the same feelings he had felt when he'd seen the pictures she'd kept. Feelings of intimacy on a whole deeper level, knowing and for the first time seeing that she cared on the same level that he did, he longed to touch her, not just with his fingers, but with his heart and soul.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into him tight. He leaned in to kiss her.

"How are you here? Ty Lee and Mai said that you'd left the palace." She did not hide her awe at his presence. He frowned. Damn those girls. He explained to her what happened, but he started to regret it. By the end of his story, she was fuming. He could almost feel the heat radiating off of her.

"WHAT?!"

"Uh…Azula?" Sokka was scared.

"I'M GOING TO KILL THOSE GIRLS!" she headed for the door but Sokka held her back. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his head on her neck gently.

"Save it for tomorrow," he whispered into her ear, successfully calming her down. There was a moment of silence.

"You didn't leave."

"Hm?"

"Once you freed yourself…you didn't leave."

"…" Sokka was as confused as she was.

"Sokka…" she turned around, looking into his eyes. It was so intense, Sokka almost had to look away. He had never felt such a connection with any other person in his entire life. "I love you."

Sokka's stomach turned to ice; of all the things he could expect from Azula, as unpredictable and crazy, coldhearted and power hungry as she was, he never couldn't expected that from her. He had not even known whether she was capable of loving someone, and if she was, the chances that that person could be him.

As he looked into her golden eyes, his heart was torn. He couldn't love this woman, yet he did. He was afraid of loving her, afraid of inevitably losing her. He did not want to let himself fall for her, yet it was uncontrollable. "I… love you."

Their lips locked, and they didn't part until late that night.

***

Sokka woke up first. Damn it! He meant to break up with her, but he ended up falling in love with her and here they were, more unbreakable than ever. Now that they had admitted their feeling, they seemed so much more real, unable to deny any longer.

He turned towards her, stroking her hair and skin softly, admiring her. How could this woman he felt so strongly for be his worst enemy? Maybe that was part of the appeal…

She opened her eyes, raising an eyebrow, her lip curled. She kissed him long but softly, placing a gentle hand on his arm.

"Morning…"

"Morning…"

They looked at each other blankly for a long time, taking pleasure in the moment. It was a strange sensation, having no barriers between them. No pretend hate, no outside world to get in their way, as intimate and deep as they could possibly be together.

_Knock knock knock._

"Oh no…Don't come in!" she yelled, but the door was busted open. Zuko appeared, looking annoyed.

"Azula, do you know what time it…AZULA?!?!" he shouted, looking like he'd just been hit on the head.

"S…okka?" he breathed.

There was a loud moment of silence, where nobody knew what to say. Zuko passed the time by looking back and forth between the unlikely pair.

"Get out of my room!" Azula broke the silence, creating a menacing looking fireball in her hand. Zuko, woken from a trance, turned on Sokka.

"GET OFF OF MY SISTER!" He ran towards the bed looking crazed, hands ready to strangle, but he was stopped by blue fire, from which he retaliated with his own brand of fire bending. Azula was at a strong disadvantage, being undressed and confined to her bed, but she fought mercilessly, but Zuko succeeding in pouncing on Sokka, hands around his neck.

"Zuko I can EXPLAAAAIIINNNN!!" Sokka wrestled him, rolling shameless out of the bed. Azula snuck out of her bed, putting a robe on as fast as she could and shutting the door and locking it. She frowned. It was as if God himself was against her.

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

As the two men of her life rolled around throwing punches on the ground, she sighed and ran towards them, ready to take control.

"ZUKO HEAR ME OUT!"

"HOW DARE YOU CORRUPT MY SISTER!"

"CORRUPT!?! SHE WAS CORRUPT LONG BEFORE I CAME!"

"BUT NOT IN THAT WAAAYY!" More yelling and thrashing for a bolt of lightning came between them.

"Ok break it up NOW!" she picked them each up and stood between them.

"You have some explaining to do, Azula!" she looked between them and Sokka, looking for an answer. There were very few situations that put her at a loss for words, but this definitely ranked as one of them.

"Sokka…do us favor and put your clothes on." Sokka blushed and hastily went to find his clothes. "Now, did you come here to tell me something, or were you just coming here to bother me as usual?"

"Father wants to see you." She frowned, that was strange.

"Very well," she said, quickly changing into more appropriate attire.

"Wha- you're not leaving! You have explaining to do!"

"I don't believe this takes precedence over father's wishes," she pinned her hair up, looking darkly at Zuko. "Sokka stays here, and you're mouth stays shut." She left before he could protest. Zuko turned, looking back at Sokka, eyes narrowing. Sokka laughed nervously.

***

She kneeled before her father, waiting for him to speak.

"Azula," his booming voice reached her.

"Yes father." She prepared to inform him that the avatar's friends were in the area, but curious as to why she had been called.

"You've been exhibiting some strange behavior lately, most unlike you. And I've been told the most horrific things this morning by my servants. Is there anything you'd like to share?"

Azula looked forward, mind blank with shock, trying her hardest to contain the heat flowing up to her entire face. Although she'd complained twice in the last 24 hours about being in strange situations where she had no idea what to say, this definitely topped them all. She cursed the world internally. God WAS out to get her.

"…No, father."

"Then would you care to explain why you abandoned your duty to travel to the eastern shore yesterday, and if I recall, to chase some boy, a mission our soldiers could have easily accomplished?"

"I…thought catching him was of utmost importance seeing as he is a friend of the avatar."

"And what became of this chase?"

"He…got away."

"I did not train you so diligently to fail, and to fail at what? Chasing some peasant! I am disappointed, Azula."

"It will not happen again, father."

"The worst is yet to come. Do you know what half of our work force is doing today?"

"No."

"They're busy cleaning the streets you destroyed last night! They saw the remnants of your blue fire burning through the city, and there were reports of you going out without explanation as to where you were going."

"I was merely…trying to blow off steam, father. I'm sorry."

"It would not so easily forgiven, except that more pressing, more unacceptable matters have come to me from the servants. Late last night, servants heard _two_ voices in your room last night, the rest of which I'd rather not discuss."

Azula felt sick to her stomach. She made a mental note to kill all servants that worked in her side of the palace as soon as she left the room. They would regret the day they were ever born. Her face was beet red, and she cursed herself for it.

"Father, I believe you have the wrong idea…Zuko and I were talking late last night about-"

"You lie! I spoke with Zuko earlier this morning. He was not in your chambers last night."

"The avatar's friends are in the area-"

"Don't change the subject!" More blushing. She could get out of anything, but this type of problem she was unfamiliar with. "Azula…" he seethed. "I never thought I'd be having such a conversation with _you_...I thought you were the _good_ child."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Get rid of him."

"Yes father."

"The friends of the avatar are no immediate threat- without the avatar they are nothing. They will be apprehended when found, but do not consider this your first priority." He nodded, and she understood herself to be dismissed.

Whatever, she thought. She did not want to capture the avatar at that moment. For him to reveal himself at a later moment would be more appropriate for her plan. Now, to deal with Zuko. When she stepped in the hallway, Sokka came crashing into her.

"He's after me!" he looked panicked.

"Get back here!!" they heard from afar.

"Gotta go!!" he ran off.

"Wa- Sokka!"

"I'll be fiiiine!" She certainly hoped so. If her father found out…she shuddered. Good bye earth. Zuko zoomed past her seconds later "You're next!!!" he said.

She had to put a stop to this before Sokka was caught or seen. She growled. This was chaos.

"Was that Sokka and Zuko?" Ty Lee and Mai appeared behind her. She swirled around.

"_You two…_" she hissed through gritted teeth.

"Uh…Azula?"

BAM! A fireball was shot their way.

"Explain yourselves!"

"Uh…" she gasped, hand over her mouth pointing behind her. "What's that?!" Azula turned around to see nothing.

"What are you-" they were running away down the corridor after Zuko and Sokka. "Get back here you imbeciles!" she ran after them, scorching them with fire in the process.

"Azula we're sorry- ah!" the fire hit their toes.

"It was her idea!" Mai yelled.

"No it wasn't!" Ty Lee whined, both of them putting out the fire on their clothes. At an intersection of hallways, they split up. Azula stopped running, deciding to punish them later. They would be back, though she questioned their motives. And people thought _she_ was the weird one.

"I lost him," Zuko came up from behind her.

"Well then, I'll resume the search!" she walked off.

"Wait!" he grabbed her sleeve. She turned her head over her shoulder.

"don't worry, I'll take care of it-"

"That's not the point…I don't even know where to begin! You and Sokka?"

"…"

"Prince Zuko! Princess Azula!" a soldier walked up to them. "You are needed immediately. We've caught someone we believe to be an accomplice of the avatar, and we need you to confirm." They were both intrigued. They followed the soldier outside the palace towards the dungeons.

"This woman was apprehended sneaking around the dungeons." It was Katara. "We believe her to the water bender that travels with the avatar. Is this her?"

Azula's lip curled. Luck was finally on her side. She opened her mouth to speak, but Zuko beat her to it.

"No! That's not her." WHAT?! Azula's eyebrow blended in with her hair it was raised so high. She glanced at Zuko to see his cheeks were red.

"Thank you, sir. What should we do with her, Prince Zuko?"

"Let her go."

"Yes, sir! We apologize, sir." They released her, and walked off. Katara was looking at him dumbfounded. Her cheeks became red, but her eyes looked at him suspiciously.

"Thanks…but why?"

"Without the avatar, you're no threat." He said darkly, but Azula did not believe that to be his only intention. After all, she was the liar of the family. But Katara took it at face value, and returned the dark expression.

"You have Sokka, don't you? Tell me where he is!"

Azula and Zuko glanced at each other, unsure of what to say. Zuko looked at her angrily.

"As a matter of fact, we do, and-"

"Come and get him if you _dare!_" she interrupted before Zuko said anymore. She grabbed Zuko's sleeve and pulled him along with her. Out of the corner of his eye, she saw Zuko look longingly at her, as if he wished to say goodbye. She thought she heard Zuko whisper something, but she did not hear it.

Katara started after them curiously. She wondered to herself, did Zuko just say "Tomorrow at noon?" Could she trust him?

***

"What are we going to do?" Sokka was pacing in Azula's room. Azula was lying on her bed, running her fingers through her hair.

"Well, Zuko's left us alone, no doubt because he's planning something."

"Zuko, Ty Lee, Mai, and now Katara know that I'm here!"

"That just makes it all the more interesting, doesn't it?"

"No! It makes this BAD!"

"Don't worry. It'll all work out the way it should." Oh God. Was she trying to be comforting?

"What's that supposed to mean." She looked at him sharply.

"Just trust me."

"But-"

"You worry too much."

Silence. Sokka sighed. "But I'm the plan guy. I have to think of something."

"And I'm the plan girl. And my current plan is to not have a plan."

"That makes no sense."

"…Just come here! And we have to be quiet tonight."

"Why."

"Just because." She blushed. Sokka looked at her confused, and then "Oh…OH!" he grimaced.

"Shh!" they both blushed.

It being late, he crawled into bed and wrapped an arm around her she wrapped her arms around him in return. Their lips met, kissing each other deeply, but for the first time since they'd started sleeping together, they did not go any farther. More content to merely kiss softly and bask in each other's presence, they both lay there serenely.

***

Katara walked towards the palace suspiciously. Toph and Aang were not with her, Toph was to stay behind in case Katara did not return, then she and Aang together could rescue her and Sokka. She did not trust Zuko, especially not after he betrayed her and Aang in Ba Sing Se, but something about the way he treated her last night made her come. She hated him deeply, but the way he looked at her…

"Katara!" her name was called discreetly from an alleyway. It was Zuko. She marched up to him and before he could react, she immediately slapped him. He looked hurt, but he seemed to take it in stride all the same.

"I know I deserved that."

"You traitor! The only reason I'm here is because of what you did last night. Now WHERE is Sokka?"

"He's in the palace, and we're gonna get him out."

"Is he trapped?"

"…Sort of. I want him out as badly as you do, but I need your help."

"How do I know you're not leading me into a trap?"

"…Without the avatar, I have no interest in capturing you or Sokka. My work is done." Zuko lied. But he couldn't tell her about the immense guilt that burdened his shoulders, that was only amplified when he saw her angry-yet undeniably beautiful- face. And he DEFINITELY couldn't tell her about Sokka and Azula…he shuddered. Not that she couldn't know, it was that he couldn't bring himself to say it- it was so repulsive.

"Then why do you need me? Don't you have the authority to get him out yourself? And why do you even care whether he's there or not?"

"Instead of telling you, I'll show you. Just follow my lead." They walked together towards the palace, her following Zuko down secret paths, entering through a side entrance.

***

Sokka and Azula were seated lazily on a bench in the royal garden, where only the royal family could go. There she didn't have to worry about Sokka being discovered, now that Zuko already knew. They leaned against each other in silence, tired of talking from their long conversation they'd just had.

"Promise?" Azula asked, looking at him suspiciously.

"Promise," Sokka confirmed, then looked at her nervously. "What's with the glare?...OW!" she burnt his skin in a way that was her version of playful.

There was a long silence between them, where they simply enjoyed their inevitably limited time together.

"SOKKA?!" they heard a female voice from behind that Sokka knew all too well. He reluctantly turned to see Katara, followed by Zuko – the bastard!- walking towards them. Needless to say, Sokka immediately freaked out. He jumped up pointing accusingly at Azula.

"AH HA! Evil fire princess, you're time is up! I've come to eradicate you! Surrender now or else there will be dire consequences!" he drastically made to grab her collar. He looked at Katara, who was not convinced, instead she was fuming similarly to when Zuko discovered them, but given the two different situations he'd have thought Katara would be less scary, though she looked incredibly more so.

"SO THIS IS WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS WHOLE TIME THAT WE'VE BEEN WORRYING ABOUT YOU?"

"What Katara you have the wrong idea…I was trying to…uhh…"

"TRYING TO FRATERNIZE WITH THE ENEMY…WITH AZULA? **AZULA**?!?!? WHAT ABOUT SUKI?" she was in hysterics, pointing to the fire princess wildly. He leaned towards Azula.

"Help me!" he hissed through gritted teeth. Her lip curled, smirking like usual.

"No, this is plenty entertaining. Watching other people's misery is simply the best." Katara's wrath turned onto Azula.

"_You…_" she hissed.

"Come and get it." Azula stood up, smiling excitedly.

"Oh I will!" Sokka and Zuko immediately came in between the two.

"Zuzu…you may have other ideas, but I think imprisoning these two would be our best option. They could be useful for interrogation…"

"No!" he involuntarily glanced at Katara. "There's no need for that now that the avatar's gone."

"Are you sure that's the only reason?" she taunted, knowing that the girl was the reason he was being so lenient. "I might not be the only one here trying to _fraternize with the enemy_." She looked directly between Zuko and Katara while saying it, and they both blushed, looking sheepish. It did not go unnoticed by Sokka.

"ZUKO YOU HYPOCRITE!"

"Don't look at me!" he backed away.

Azula looked at Sokka long and hard.

"Promise?" Sokka nodded.

"Promise."

"Then go. Both of you." With one longing look at Sokka, she turned away, heading towards the palace. She was in the distance when Katara and Zuko both bombarded him with a storm of angry questions.

"Promise what?!"

"So how long has this been going on anyway?"

"Did this start in Ba Sueng?"

"Did you two sleep together?!"

"Are you two in love?"

"Does Toph know?"

"Do Mai and Ty Lee know?"

"Is she always that mean?"

"Did she force you into it?"

"TOO MANY QUESTIONS!" Sokka pulled at his hair, being able to answer none of the questions. He stormed off. Katara and Zuko glanced at each other.

"Thanks," she said softly. Zuko's cheeks went red again. She grabbed his hand.

"I'm still angry at you, and I don't understand you…" she kissed his cheek. "But I know what you did today was out of kindness. So thanks." He looked away out of embarrassment.

"You should exit the way you came in." he said gruffly without looking back.

***

"I'm free!" Sokka embraced the city with a new appreciation. They both smiled at each other. As much as she annoyed him, he had missed her. Seeing her face again made him happy, but she looked at him darkly.

"You have so much explaining to do." Sokka sighed.

"Yeah…I know."

"First of all, promise what?"

Without saying anything, Sokka briefly recalled his and Azula's last conversation. He remembered it fondly as they neared the camp where he would finally be reunited with his friends.

***

"I spoke with Zuko this morning, and let me tell you, he's a horrible liar. I don't know how, but he's planning to bust you out of here, and I think it has something to do with your sister."

"What?" she explained to him what happened with Katara the previous night.

"But…what about us?" The inevitable question, the one they had so skillfully avoided last time, but now it seemed they could not avoid it any longer, not with the strength of their feelings for each other. They hated to admit it, more so to themselves, but they loved each other and did not want to part.

"You can't stay here."

"…Yeah I know." She laughed, raising an eyebrow at him.

"So you're the plan man…what do we do?"

"We make a promise." She looked at him expectantly. "We promise that no matter what, no matter how this war ends, we'll be together again."

"Ambiguous but reliable," she hmph'ed, "I like it." Sokka frowned.

"Are you insulting my plan? I'm the plan guy!"

"And I took down the earth kingdom." Triumph.

"I still haven't forgiven you for that."

"Good." _Bitch…_Sokka bitterly thought. Him glaring and Azula smirking, they kissed, both of them looking more softer and affectionate following.

"I love you?"

"I love you."

***

Azula sat sideways on a large comfy chair, Ty Lee and Mai sitting nervously near her. When she glanced at them sharply, they both jumped. Azula appeared calm, casually scanning her nails.

"I'm not angry at you guys…I have a sense of humor." The two girls relaxed, then Azula suddenly sat straight and stiffly, looking at them threateningly. "But if you ever do something like that I'll have you thrown in the dungeons!" They both nodded.

Azula relaxed in her chair again, pondering everything that had happened in the last two days, though there was one thing that intrigued her.

Suki?

* * *

AN: Thanks for reading! Hope it was fun to read, and review are always appreciated. Love to know what you guys think. XD


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